Phillip Phillips on American Idol: "I Honestly Didn't Think People Would Like Me"

Season 11 winner of American Idol? Check. Musician with skyrocketing career? Check. People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive?” No, no, no —Phillip Phillips hasn’t nabbed that last title yet, but just give it time. He did, however, land on the cover of Billboard’s latest issue, along with a lengthy spread on his debut album’s soaring sales. P2 saw his debut album, The World From the Side of the Moon, cross the half-million mark during the last week of 2012. What a difference a year makes! According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 533,000 copies in six weeks, making his album the fastest-selling debut effort since David Cook’sback in 2008.Phillip explains that for him, Idol was a launching pad for doing what he’s always wanted to do: make music for the world to hear."I knew what I wanted to do before I tried out for 'Idol,'" he said. "I had written a lot of the songs before the show. A few co-writes came up and [19 and Interscope executives] knew what they wanted and I think it met the expectations. They understood what kind of album I wanted to make."Ever the humble figure, he said that the only thing he really took seriously on the show was staying true to himself, even if he wasn’t sure people would vote for him."I honestly didn't think people would like me — I didn't care what happened on the show," he said. "It never seemed like a competition. I always made sure I was having fun and the band was having a good time. I didn't give in to what some people give into — the fame.”Season 12 of Idol is ramping up this week, but we’re still rooting for Phillip to do big things in 2013!Source: Billboard